WITH THE I MARINE EXPEDITIONARY FORCE IN DESERT SHIELD AND DESERT STORM    107


Brigade, which transported them to custody facilities in the rear.  Recovered
enemy dead were normally transferred to appropriate Saudi authorities unless
immediate burial was indicated.      Information on enemy deceased was docu-
mented according to guidelines specified in the Geneva Convention and this
information was forwarded to the host nation with a copy sent through mortuary
channels to General Schwarzkopf's headquarters. The 1st Force Service Support
Group graves registration team handled a total of about 85 remains, including
those of Marines but excluding those remains turned over to Saudi authorities.
  Equipment casualties during combat were very light. The 3d Marine Aircraft
Wing, which proportionately was in direct combat over a longer period, incurred
the greatest losses.    These were all the result of passive-guidance, heat-seeking
missiles.  A total of 11 Marine aircraft were struck by such missiles: two OV-
10 Broncos, four AV-8B Harriers (including one from NavCent), and five F/A-
18 Hornets. All of the Broncos and Harriers were brought down. Most of their
crews were killed or captured.     The twin-engine Hornets managed to return to
home base and all were repaired within 36 hours.        Innovative tactics and
electronic jamming by Marine fliers effectively thwarted Iraqi radar missiles and
conventional antiaircraft artillery; these were the main reasons overall aircraft
losses were low.

                                    Retrograde

  The final stage of Operation Desert Storm was the retrograde or return of
American forces to their pre-conflict status.  This effort was informally known
as ?~Desert      Calm." In the same manner that they deployed to Southwest Asia,
the goal was for Marine units to return as elements of deployable Marine
air-ground task forces, rather than by individual rotation. Units that had trained,
deployed, supported, and fought together during Operations Desert Shield and
Desert Storm stayed together.      The purpose was to keep active duty personnel
in stable, deployable, combat-ready units and to return mobilized Reservists with
their units in order to ensure that the Marine Corps could meet its worldwide
contingency commitments.       The effect of keeping personnel together during the
retrograde was synergistic. The result was a redeployment of Marines that was
executed smoothly, rapidly, and on a scale not seen since World War II.   The
wisdom of this policy was reinforced by the ongoing uncertainty of the world
situation at the time.    Among the problems were revolts by Kurdish and Shiite
populations in Iraq, the failure of Iraq to live up to terms of the ceasefire, an
impending non-combatant evacuation operation in Ethiopia, and humanitarian
relief operations in northern Iraq and Bangladesh.


   18Jan91:  LtCol C. M. Aeree (POW)ICwO-4 0. L. Hunter (POW), VMO-2 OV-1O.
28Jan91: Capt M. C. Berryman (POW), VMA-311. 9Feb91: Capt R. A. C. Sanforn (POW),
VMA-231 AV-SB. 25Feb91: Capt J. S. Walsh (rescued), VMA-542 AV-SB. 25Feb91: Maj J. J.
Small (FOW)ICapt D. M. Spellacy (KIA), VMO-1 OV-10. 27Feb91: Capt R. C. Underwood
(KiA), VMA~331, MAG-40 (NavCent), AV-8B.